2-Minute Expert: What Are Connected Cars?

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As we spend more time with apps on smartphones, automakers are
betting we’ll want to do the same in our cars. So they are
providing Internet-connected systems labeled "infotainment" or
"telematics" that essentially turn LCD screens in the dashboard
into remote controls for apps.

More than 10 automakers offer such systems today or plan to by
next year, in brands including Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai,
Kia, MINI, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.

Most of these systems have three types of apps in common:

Connected audio

Social media

Search and navigation

Connected audio

Apps like Pandora do simple audio streaming, sending shuffled
songs from the Internet to the vehicle's speakers. Internet radio
services like Slacker, TuneIn and iHeartRadio, offer online channels
that are programmed by DJs or provide traditional radio
broadcasts that are simulcast online.

Pandora is featured or soon-to-be featured in 16
brands––including Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Kia and Scion. Slacker
works in Ford autos and will be coming to Honda and Subaru
vehicles later. TuneIn and iHeartRadio work with Ford vehicles,
and iHeartRadio also works with Toyotas.

Automakers may charge hundreds of dollars for cars with these
audio systems - for example, $295 on some Fords. They typically
don't include the extra-cost or "upgrade" versions of apps.
Slacker Premium Radio, for example, lets you play songs and
albums on demand instead of just preprogrammed stations. It
typically costs $9.99 per month.

Social media

Some systems work with Facebook and Twitter to send or receive
updates using the in-dash display, or to read incoming updates
and messages aloud through the vehicle's speakers. Facebook is
available with BMW, MINI and Hyundai systems, and is coming soon
to Mercedes-Benz vehicles, for example. Twitter is available with
BMW and MINI systems.

To minimize distraction when the vehicle is moving, your Facebook
posts are usually limited to preconfigured messages. MINI's
choices include, for example, "On my way to [Destination] with
[Distance to Destination]," and the app links to the car's GPS
system to fill in the blanks.

Search and navigation

Other apps bolster the navigation system. Bing and Google search
apps, for example, supplement the built-in point-of-interest
(POI) database by enabling drivers to search for other locations
using whatever keywords they want. Yelp and OpenTable apps help
drivers find hotels or make a reservation at a restaurant, and
send the results to the navigation system to provide directions.

Toyotas use Bing and OpenTable while BMW and soon Mercedes-Benz
feature Google and Yelp.

Differences

Some brands, such as Ford, use the dashboard screen to control
apps that reside in the smartphone, which connects with the
vehicle's system using Bluetooth. These have the advantage of
letting you use the apps as you have already configured them on
your smartphone. Others, like the upcoming Mercedes-Benz system,
called mbrace2, leverage a built-in cellular connection to
control apps online. So you can use them with your smartphone
switched off — or even if you don’t own a smartphone.

What’s next?

Look for ever-more creative apps as automakers challenge
developers to come up with new ideas. A recently devised app from
Roximity, for instance, was the winner of a competition sponsored
by Ford. It combines a daily deals service with navigation, to
alert you to bargains as you drive by them.